Minnesota Timberwolves Lead 2-1 In Series; Notch Big Win Over Golden State Warriors

The Minnesota Timberwolves and the Golden State Warriors are tied 1-1 in the Western Conference semifinals. In Game 2, the Golden State Warriors lost without Stephen Curry on the roster. Curry went out with a hamstring strain in Game 1. Curry is set to be re-evaluated in a week and is expected to be available for Game 6.. In Game 2, the Timberwolves shot 50% from the field and 42% from the three-point line. Minnesota’s Julius Randle led in scoring with 24 points and had 11 rebounds. Anthony Edwards 6-of-13 from the field and 1-of-4 from the three-point line. He had 20 points in that game.

The Golden State Warriors shot 28% from the three-point line in Game 2. The Warriors shot 44% from the field, with Jonathan Kuminga as the leading scorer with 18 points. Kuminga shot 8-of-11 from the field but was 1-of-4 from the three-point line. Jimmy Butler III of the Warriors had 17 points, shooting 6-of-13 from the field and 1-of-3 from the three-point line. On Saturday, the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Golden State Warriors would meet again for Game 3 on the Warriors’ home court at the Chase Center. Could the Warriors get a win without Curry?

Warriors Still A Problem Without Curry

The Timberwolves and the Warriors battled head-to-head in the first quarter. The Timberwolves would hold a lead of eight for most of the first quarter. Randle would score six points, and Anthony Edwards, guard for Minnesota, would score 7 points, shooting 2-of-5 from the field. Butler III shot 5-of-7 from the field and finished the quarter with 11 points. The Warriors would rally to tie the game at 21 by the end of the first.

In the second quarter, the Timberwolves would pin down the Warriors for the first six minutes. Minnesota would lead by as much as 10 in the quarter. Randle would lead in scoring for the Timberwolves. He would have nine for the quarter, shooting 3-of-4 from the paint. Naz Ried for the Timberwolves would shoot 2-of-2 from the three-point line. The Warriors would go on a 12-2 run to end the half. Butler III would shoot 2-of-5 and finish with 7 points. Jonathan Kuminga of the Warriors would end the quarter with 6 points, going 3-for-5 from the field, and ending the half with 12 points.

The Warriors would lead by two at halftime, 42-40. Butler would end the half with 18 points. The Golden State Warriors shot 42% from the field. Edwards would go scoreless in the second quarter and finish the half with only 8 points. Randle would end the half with 13 points, and Minnesota would shoot 34% from the field. Could the Warriors finish off the T’wolves in the second half?

Minnesota Timberwolves Bite Back

In the second half, the Timberwolves and the Warriors battled back and forth like a heavyweight title fight. The lead would change hands eight times during the third quarter. Edwards started to awaken in the third quarter, shooting 5-of-7 from the field and 1-of-3 from three-point land. He would have 14 points in the third quarter. Buddy Hield, guard for the Warriors, would shoot 3-of-5 from the three-point line and end the quarter with 10 points. After the dust settled, the Warriors would lead 73-69 after three quarters.

In the fourth quarter, the Warriors would hold the lead for most of the quarter. Edwards grabbed the lead for the Timberwolves with a three-pointer with 3:58 left in regulation. T’Wolves would lead by two, and Edwards would shoot 3-of-5 from the three-point line in the fourth quarter. The Timberwolves would keep the Warriors pinned down for the fourth and get the win 102-97. The Timberwolves and Warriors would both shoot 43% from the field. Edwards would end the game with 36 points, scoring the most in the second half. Butler III would end the game with 33 points, shooting 12-for-26 from the field.

Final Thoughts

The Minnesota Timberwolves lead the Golden State Warriors 2-1 in the series. The Warriors did shoot 43% from the three-point line without Curry in the lineup. Can the Warriors get a win to extend the series long enough for Curry to return? Or will Anthony Edwards, the Legend Killer of the NBA and the Minnesota Timberwolves, run their way into the Western Conference Finals? Game 4 will be May 12 back at Chase Center.